Is mandatory vaccination counter-prudent?

Although some European countries have the highest vaccination rates in the world, they continue to push to convince those who resist to do so. Some governments have imposed the Covid pass as an incentive, while others have opted directly to make vaccines mandatory.

Austria, for example, was the first to impose the vaccine and it will be mandatory from February 1, regardless of age or professional activity. Greece and Italy have ordered those over the age of 60 and 50, respectively, to be vaccinated or face fines.

The German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, supported this Wednesday, in a round of questions, the mandatory vaccination in the country. Lawmakers are expected to debate later this month. Currently, the country has placed restrictions on the unvaccinated, requiring proof of vaccination or Covid recovery to enter bars, restaurants and most cultural and entertainment venues. France, which already has a valid health pass, is expected to follow the German lead later this month.

But experts are wary of the impact these measures could have.

“I think that with too strict regulations, the anti-vaccines, which for now are a minority, will have more force,” Julia van Weert, professor at the Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Amsterdam, told Euronews.

“This is the long-term danger,” he added. “It is something that will undoubtedly divide society and increase polarization.”

Let the unvaccinated get annoyed

The next change in legislation in France has gotten people out on the streets. The country has about 91% of adults with the complete vaccination schedule and 79% of children between 12 and 17 years old. More than 105,000 people demonstrated across the country on Sunday against the “Covid certificate”, four times more than the last demonstration that took place on December 18.

Perhaps in part, these figures have been given by the statements made by French President Emmanuel Macron. He assured that he really wanted to “annoy the unvaccinated.” For experts, this type of language could be counterproductive.

Professor Martyn Pickersgill, Professor of Sociology of Science and Medicine at the University of Edinburgh, told Euronews that he is concerned about Macron’s comment: it has little to do with improving public health. These words could have the opposite effect and, instead of motivating people, they could demotivate them. “

However, Macron could claim that, so far, the French government’s strategy has been successful. It has encouraged people to get vaccinated by making health workers get vaccinated compulsorily and has launched the Covid health card, which certifies that its holder has been vaccinated with the two doses, has previously recovered from the disease or has had a negative result when taking a test. The Government has ensured that, thanks to its strategy, the health system has been able to resist during the different waves of the pandemic.

Do We Trust Vaccine Information?

The Covid certificate is considered a success in getting people vaccinated. A study on its impact in Denmark, Israel, Italy, France, Germany and Switzerland, published by the medical journal The lancet in December, it discovered that the number of vaccinations increased 20 days before its application, an effect that lasted up to 40 days after its announcement.

However, despite the restrictions in the day-to-day life of citizens, some continue to choose to forgo vaccines.

According to an EU barometer published in May 2021, the main reasons for not getting vaccinated against Covid-19 are the belief that the vaccines have not yet been sufficiently tested and concerns about side effects.

The survey, in which more than 26,000 people over the age of 15 were consulted in the 27 Member States of the Union, also revealed that the most reliable sources for Europeans, when it comes to receiving accurate information on vaccines, are the health professionals and national health authorities (61% and 44% respectively).

The EU itself and national executives came in a distant third, with 20% and 19% respectively, ahead of regional / local authorities and the media (14% and 11%).

“Trust, open communication, and partnerships are essential characteristics of all public health campaigns. Most importantly, trust cannot be simply demanded: rather, the trustworthiness of the politicians who make health policies must be clearly demonstrated. public health, “Pickersgill stressed

“The benefits and risks of vaccination must be communicated clearly and openly, otherwise it is understandable that citizens feel that information is hidden from them, which fuels mistrust,” he added.

Not all those not vaccinated are anti-vaccines

Van Weert, for his part, warned that minorities that have not yet been vaccinated should not be categorized as anti-vaccines, but rather “a heterogeneous group of people” who are part of communities in which misinformation spreads with faster. These can be people from low socioeconomic status, students and immigrants, but also people who have concerns about their own medical history and need to have their concerns addressed specifically.

“I think governments should make every effort to reach those people first before imposing more restrictions,” he said, calling for more “tailored strategies” that involve important stakeholders or key figures in communities.

“It is better if they reach out to them, for example independent authorities or doctors can play an important role in this regard,” he said, as can religious figures, including imams and priests.

He highlighted, for example, the success of a “question hotline” in the Netherlands that unvaccinated people call to discuss their concerns with medical professionals. The service receives an average of 1,000 calls a day.

Will mandatory vaccination work?

For Van Weert, the impact of mandatory vaccination in Western Europe will not be as far-reaching. “What I know from research is that the added value of enforcement is higher when vaccination rates are lower,” he said. They are also highly unlikely to influence those ideologically opposed to the vaccine, he added.

“The anti-vaccines are so safe that they are not convinced by anything. I think it is better to leave these people alone for a while and not pay much attention to them. The more they are stigmatized, the less willing they will be to be vaccinated,” he concluded.

Pickersgill was also cautious about its impact, assuring Euronews that “it is possible that the impositions” work “exclusively in the sense that they could force some people who were concerned about the effects of vaccines, to accept the possibility of being vaccinated” .

More than 69% of the EU / EEA population is now fully protected against the risk of serious diseases, but there are large disparities between the 31 countries in the region.

Denmark and Portugal have fully immunized more than 82% of their population, while Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Spain have rates between 70 and 78%. Eastern countries, however, have not been so successful. Bulgaria has yet to fully vaccinate a third of its population, while the rates in Romania and Slovakia are below 50%.